Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

"Who is she?"

Kurama took a glance first.

Seeing the red hair, his immediate reaction was to say to Minato:

"Another Uzumaki in the Land of Wind? She certainly fled far enough."

"An Uzumaki?"

Minato had long since become accustomed to connecting through Kurama's chakra.

After carefully examining the red-haired woman and her daughter, he searched through his memories.

Only two words came to mind.

"Who?"

Even Dad doesn't know her?

Naruto was stunned.

She says she's the Queen of Rōran and even knows my name.

At that moment, Sara reached into her belongings and withdrew a chakra blade.

The weapon was somewhat worn and damaged, yet meticulously maintained.

As she gazed at it, tenderness and nostalgia alternated across her eyes.

She paid little attention to the curious looks from everyone else.

"That blade..."

Hinata, who had been quietly observing Sara, noticed the symbol engraved on it.

"It's a standard Konoha weapon."

"Yes."

Sara nodded.

"It was given to me by an old friend."

"Your friend was from Konoha too?"

"...They were all Konoha shinobi."

They?

Sasuke immediately noticed the wording.

However, he was far more interested in the young girl named Rōran, who kept sneaking glances at him.

"Sorry."

Sara smiled apologetically.

"I realize this must all seem very strange."

"I've been rather unwell for some time."

"My mind wasn't always clear."

"Perhaps I truly mistook you for someone else."

It sounded like an excuse she had prepared beforehand.

Yet her gaze remained fixed on Naruto.

As though she were searching for traces of someone else within him.

Everyone present couldn't help but wonder if the former Queen of Rōran might be slightly unstable.

By all logic, it was impossible.

Someone her age claimed to know Naruto personally and even regarded him as an old acquaintance?

How could that make sense?

Yet inside Naruto's mindscape, Minato suddenly remembered something.

"Queen of Rōran..."

"Could she be the person you mentioned before, Kurama?"

"Hm?"

"You mean the one you and Naruto saved?"

Kurama finally understood.

"Oh... that's right."

"It should be her."

"She looks much older now."

In Kurama's memories from the previous timeline, Naruto had once traveled through time and helped a younger Minato save the Kingdom of Rōran.

The queen they rescued had indeed been named Sara.

Back then, she had been a vibrant young woman.

Not the mature woman marked by years standing before them now.

"Wait."

Minato suddenly froze.

"Kurama."

"You said I sealed everyone's memories afterward."

"Then why does Sara still remember Naruto?"

"Hm?"

Kurama also realized something was wrong.

"And..."

"Rōran was where I sent the Uchiha clan."

"The Flying Thunder God marker that even I can't sense anymore..."

Minato's thoughts raced.

Then he understood.

Through Kurama, he relayed his conclusion to Naruto.

"The answers may all lie with Queen Sara."

"She likely has connections to the current Uchiha clan."

I understand.

Naruto's eyes sharpened.

Then he turned toward Sara.

"Um..."

"Could I speak with you alone?"

"Me?"

Sara seemed surprised.

But she did not refuse.

Everyone else became even more confused.

Did Naruto really know this woman from before?

Only Sasuke seemed to realize something.

He glanced toward Rōran.

The girl was pretending not to care.

After enduring several minutes of silence, she finally couldn't hold back anymore.

Using only her finger, she pointed toward her own back.

Then silently mouthed words at Sasuke.

Sasuke understood immediately.

Cover it.

Cover what?

My back has wha—

Then realization struck.

He forcefully suppressed the excitement rising within him.

Of course he knew what was on his back.

And he finally understood what had attracted the girl's attention.

It was the symbol he had carried for years.

The burden he could never escape.

The crest of the Uchiha clan.

Outside, beneath the shade of a large tree.

Naruto glanced around.

Then he crouched and rapidly formed hand seals.

Pressing his palm against the ground, several chakra inscriptions spread outward before fading away.

Standing up, he looked directly at Sara.

Getting straight to the point.

"We've met before."

"No... that's not quite right."

"The person you know isn't the current me."

"Is that correct?"

"You... you know?"

Sara stared at him in shock.

"I know the general outline."

"So what I want to ask is this."

"Who removed the memory seal?"

The question clearly caught her off guard.

She hesitated.

"I..."

"I promised."

"I promised that person I would never tell anyone about those events."

"Naruto, even if it's you—"

"Was it someone from the Uchiha clan?"

Naruto interrupted immediately.

"...You know that too?"

Sara had never expected him to ask such a direct question.

She steadied herself before speaking.

"This isn't a safe place."

"We should return to the caravan and—"

"No need."

Naruto shook his head.

"I've already set up a barrier."

"No one can overhear us."

"...You know sealing techniques?"

"Yes."

"I do."

Sara blinked several times.

She was no longer the naive young queen who knew nothing of shinobi arts.

Years of leading her displaced people across the world as merchants had broadened her horizons.

Naruto was about the same age as her daughter.

Yet he could casually use such a sophisticated technique.

Future Naruto said he couldn't use sealing techniques.

In the end, it was that blond shinobi who resembled him...

Then another thought struck her.

Wait.

Hasn't Izumi been struggling with sealing techniques this whole time?

Maybe Naruto could help her.

"Naruto."

"Do you remember everything that happened?"

"No."

Naruto shook his head.

"I only know that those events occurred."

"But I don't possess memories from the future."

It was an odd answer.

Yet Sara seemed to understand perfectly.

She nodded.

"Then let me tell you everything."

And so she began her story.

"Back then, you and your companions from Konoha placed a seal upon everyone."

"We forgot everything that happened in Rōran."

"As queen, I treated it all as a dream and continued leading my people."

"But even without our memories..."

"We had grown dependent on the puppet technology brought by Anrokuzan."

"The man you called Mukade."

"Once the Dragon Veins were sealed, Rōran quickly fell into hardship."

"Resources became scarce."

"Life grew difficult."

"Internal conflict erupted once more."

"And eventually, Rōran was abandoned."

"Many people chose to leave."

"For the sake of my people, I had no choice but to lead them away from our homeland."

"To search for a new way for us to survive..."

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